Wang Gu had changed.
He was slightly taller now, his hair grown long enough to fall over his eyes. His ears were elongated and sharp, and upon his forehead, two teardrop-shaped symbols pulsed faintly with an oppressive light.
As the Dome curved inward, closing in on them, he extended his hand forward and slashed downward through the air.
The Blood Dome froze.
And it fell, an invisible force had cut it in half.
Already split apart, it struggled against itself, collapsing and regenerating at the same time, like a wounded beast fighting death.
"Mmm… so that didn't finish you," a voice echoed. I came from Wang Gu, but it didn't sound like him one bit.
"I thought that attack would have destroyed you. I suppose sacrificing parts of your life essence would at least give results this decent."
Lian stared at Wang Gu's back.
The familiar presence was gone.
What stood before him now carried the air of a martial Sovereign; the pressure that he exuded reminded him of the old master who had shown him the ploy of the Xing family.
"What is he? How can he exude such martial presence? He isn't even at the soul manifestation realm. How did he get so strong, and that form he has, he doesn't look like a human anymore." Lian thought, getting to his feet.
Crack
This was the final crack, and the Blood Dome shattered.
The skyline returned.
Lian looked up just in time to see dawn breaking across the horizon, golden light spilling over the land like a quiet judgment.
"Ahhh… mmmm—"
Agonised cries echoed as the remains of the Dome collapsed inward, condensing into a black, viscous mass. The voices overlapped, resonating together, and within the writhing sludge, the forms of Zha Fune and Mai Fune were dragged in—absorbed completely.
The black goo twisted violently, reshaping itself.
A silhouette began to emerge.
Lian's hands burst into flame as he stepped forward, ready to burn it away—
But Wang Gu raised a hand, stopping him.
"It's too late…" he said calmly.
He extended two fingers.
A sharp cry of Qi sliced through the air.
"Hahahaha—oh yes… I'm back."
"I can finally breathe."
The black mass solidified.
A humanoid figure stood where the siblings had been.
The figure stood tall and slick.
Its body was shaded in grey and black, smooth yet unsettling, with long horns protruding from its skull. Crimson hair flowed freely down to its waist, swaying as if alive.
It stretched its hands out, long talons glinting faintly as it rotated its wrists, inspecting its new form with clear dissatisfaction.
"Tsk… those brats really had no talent," it muttered.
"That is all the but sucrifice could summon. This isn't even one-thousandth of my original soul."
Its lips curled.
"Was their original bloodline really so thin that this is the best they could manage?"
The figure lifted its gaze toward Lian and Wang Gu.
"Oh? Hohoho… what do we have here?"
"Food to satisfy my ravaging hunger, appearing the moment I return."
Its form vanished instantly.
In the next heartbeat, it appeared directly in front of Lian—its clawed hand snapping forward, stopping just short of his throat.
Ruttle! Ruttle!
Its hands were shaking, trying to reach forward, but this falling to move an inch.
Wang Gu was already there.
His fingers clamped down around its wrist.
With a sharp motion, Wang sliced downward using his fingers—
The hand severed cleanly.
The creature leapt backwards, clutching the stump as dark energy hissed from the wound.
"F*ck—! I'm dying! I've lost my hand!" it shrieked dramatically, glaring at the two of them.
"I've lost all chance of winning!"
Then it laughed.
"Hehehe… just joking."
Before their eyes, flesh twisted and regenerated, a new hand forming seamlessly from swirling black mist.
Throughout all of this, Lian stood with his eyes closed.
His breathing steadied.
Qi surged quietly through his meridians as he refined and absorbed the Qi-boosting pill he had prepared earlier, recovering what little strength he had left.
"I see now," the demon said slowly.
"I thought the other boy was the main threat, so I planned to kill him while he was still recovering… but it seems you are special in your own way as well."
It's many pupils solidified, locking directly onto Wang Gu.
"At first glance, one would think you are a member of the Fairy Race," it continued, voice lowering.
"But no… that's not it, is it?"
"Mmm… how nefarious."
Even during my era, there was one absolute taboo—the Fairy Race must never interfere in the affairs of the world, nor could they mix their blood with any other race."
The demon slowly raised both hands. From each palm, long, sharp spikes of hardened blood extended outward, forming twin scythes.
"What have you humans done?" it hissed.
"To break the taboo, I'm sure the fairy clan wouldn't have agreed to it?"
"You wish to end the world, ha?"
"Ha… hehehehehe."
Its laughter rang sharp and shrill, cutting through the air like broken glass.
"I wonder what the Dragons will think," it mused mockingly,
"When they find out what you've done."
Wang Gu didn't respond.
Instead, he raised his hand.
Qi gathered—dense, oppressive, and unnaturally calm. It condensed into the shape of a blade, translucent yet flawless, its edge warping the air around it as if reality itself feared being touched.
A deadly pressure spread outward, forcing even the demon to narrow its eyes.
"This," Wang Gu said quietly, lifting the blade overhead,
"is my clan's treasure."
"The Destiny Blade."